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Pentagon Raises Israeli Espionage Threat to 'Critical' Level Amid Official Surveillance Concerns
🇲🇽 Mexico /Conflict & Security

Pentagon Raises Israeli Espionage Threat to 'Critical' Level Amid Official Surveillance Concerns

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Context piece
  • The U.S. Department of Defense has elevated its intelligence threat level regarding Israel from "high" to "critical."
  • This escalation stems from concerns that Israeli intelligence is "hyper-aggressively" spying on senior U.S. officials, particularly regarding Iran peace negotiations.
  • Both the White House and the Israeli Embassy in Washington have denied these allegations.

The U.S. Department of Defense has raised its counterintelligence threat level concerning Israel to "critical," the highest possible, due to growing worries that Israeli intelligence agencies are aggressively spying on senior American officials. Internal documents from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), cited by The New York Times and NBC News, indicate an increase in Israeli efforts to intercept internal deliberations within the Trump administration.

The Department of Defense has elevated the counterintelligence threat level regarding Israel from 'high' to 'critical,' the highest echelon, due to growing concern that Israeli intelligence services are 'hyper-aggressively' spying on senior U.S. officials.

— The New York TimesReporting on the internal DIA assessment.

The primary objective of this alleged espionage is reportedly to gain firsthand information on Washington's strategy concerning peace negotiations with Iran. This development occurs amid existing tensions between the U.S. and Israel, as President Trump pursues a peace deal while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to further curb Iran's capabilities and counter its allies like Hezbollah.

The main objective would be to obtain first-hand information on Washington's strategy in the peace negotiations with Iran.

— The New York TimesDetailing the reported purpose of the alleged Israeli espionage.

Reports suggest that high-ranking U.S. officials, including White House peace negotiator Steve Witkoff and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge A. Colby, have been targeted through wiretaps and phone hacking. The DIA documents reportedly note that Israeli espionage has been facilitated by some U.S. officials using private planes and personal phones for national security matters.

The story is false.

— White House spokespersonResponding to The New York Times report.

However, White House spokespersons have dismissed the Times' report as "false." Similarly, the Israeli Embassy in Washington issued a strong denial, stating that Israel "does not collect intelligence on U.S. entities" and focuses its efforts solely on adversaries, not allies.

Israel does not collect intelligence on U.S. entities.

— Israeli Embassy in WashingtonDenying the allegations of spying on U.S. officials.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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